Chapter 26: Rules
Page (1/3)
Rabbit’s Eye
Item Quality: Inferior
Item Description: This is the pitiful eye of a doll rabbit. It can never return to its owner now, but perhaps—as an eye—it might serve another purpose?
Ji Linmo’s hands moved swiftly; he picked up the button eye.
“Sister, tell me, how should we test him?” Yang Xingxing drew close to her sister, and, as if discarding trash, tossed out the rabbit doll with its cotton stuffing spilling forth.
Rip… rip…
“Oh! You mean, if he can find among all these rabbit dolls one whose fur is truly purple, you’ll agree to let her become my friend?” Yang Xingxing repeated, and beneath the burlap sack, the outline of a body seemed to shift, as if nodding.
“Hey, newcomer, did you hear what my sister said?” Yang Xingxing called out. “You only get one chance: pick a rabbit with purple fur and bring it to my sister!”
Ji Linmo’s gaze swept past the haughty Yang Xingxing and sized up the array of rabbit dolls.
The room brimmed with rabbits of every shape and hue—a dazzling display. There were long-haired and short-haired ones, some as tiny as a finger, others so large their ears brushed the ceiling.
No matter the form, under the glow of the purple orb light, their fur all shimmered violet.
This is tricky.
Ji Linmo frowned and casually grabbed a rabbit doll.
The plush fur was soft and silky, surprisingly reminiscent of a child’s newborn hair: fine, smooth, and fluffy.
Yet almost every rabbit in the room felt this way.
Remaining Task Time: 00:05:31
Seconds ticked away. Unable to discern any difference, Ji Linmo pondered, then pulled out the button eye he'd just found, examining it closely.
Rabbit’s Eye
Item Quality: Inferior
Item Description: This is the pitiful eye of a doll rabbit. It can never return to its owner now, but perhaps—as an eye—it might serve another purpose?
Wait, “as an eye”—might it have another function?
A thought struck Ji Linmo; he pressed the button to his right eye.
As expected, peering through the button, the rabbit dolls before him subtly shifted in appearance!
A red dot! The innermost rabbit seemed to glow with a red spot!
Ji Linmo hurriedly sifted through the dolls, extracting the rabbit that shone with red light through the button.
It was slightly larger than his palm, with two paws pressed against its belly; the red glow flickered from its stomach.
Page (2/3)
It seemed unremarkable.
Ji Linmo removed the button from his eye and scrutinized the doll. Bathed in purple light, its fur looked no different from the others.
Is this the one?
Holding the rabbit, Ji Linmo walked to the left.
Swish!
In an instant, all the rabbits in the room twisted their necks to look left as he moved.
He noticed and turned to the right; the other dolls followed, gazes shifting rightward.
Each stare was locked on the rabbit in his hands, the one embracing its belly.
“Is this the one?” Yang Xingxing pointed, sticking out her tongue. “Once you choose, there’s no turning back! You only get one chance.”
Ji Linmo chuckled softly and shook his head.
An ordinary person might take all these hints and believe the rabbit in his hand was the chosen purple one.
But Ji Linmo knew: in a horror game, caution was vital in any unfamiliar setting.
For any room, no matter how random, could be hiding strange tales.
Found it.
Ji Linmo’s fingers touched the back of the rabbit doll, discovering a zipper hidden among the fur.
Click.
As he opened the zipper and white cotton spilled out, he reached into the rabbit’s belly.
A crumpled slip of paper emerged.
A Small Note
Gentle Reminder
1. There are only two residents of Ruolan Community in this room.
2. In the room, apart from residents, only rabbits exist.
Ji Linmo stared, surprised.
He’d expected some kind of hint, but instead, the message was cryptic.
Wait—two?
His eyes lowered, and he discreetly tucked the note back inside.
Page (3/3)
There were currently three people in the room.
Himself, Yang Xingxing, and Yang Xingxing’s sister.
If the note’s hint was true, one among them didn’t belong.
Remaining Task Time: 00:01:00
“One minute countdown! I can hardly wait!” Yang Xingxing waved her hand, her multicolored, extravagantly painted nails flashing before Ji Linmo’s eyes.
“Hey, hey! Why aren’t you speaking? Haven’t decided yet? Want my help? I think the one you’re holding looks pretty good!” she said, snatching the rabbit doll from Ji Linmo and heading toward the burlap sack girl.
But just as she moved forward, Ji Linmo abruptly grabbed her arm.
“No, I’ve chosen.”
Ji Linmo’s eyes narrowed.
“The real purple rabbit… is you!”
“Oh? Which one?” Yang Xingxing followed his finger, watching as Ji Linmo pointed at her sister—the girl with only her legs visible beneath the sack.
“Hahaha! Are you certain? You think my sister’s a rabbit?”
Yang Xingxing burst out laughing, her heavy makeup smudging into a terrifying mask.
“Sorry, you’re wrong! I’m going to kill—”
Rip!
As Yang Xingxing’s face twisted ever more grotesquely, Ji Linmo raised both hands and tore away the burlap sack above the girl’s legs.
The sack dropped to the floor, and from atop slender, elegant legs, an enormous rabbit doll appeared.
What a jarring sight.
Long ears, a three-lobed mouth.
The rabbit doll’s legs had been hollowed out and stuffed with human legs, stitched on with thin threads.
“It’s not your sister. It’s a purple rabbit doll.”
As Ji Linmo finished speaking, the human legs no longer stood upright but slid to the floor.
The rabbit doll stitched to the thighs fell as well, pale cotton spilling everywhere, dyed brilliant violet by the overhead purple orb lamp.
Task Complete!
You have become friends with ‘Ghost Singer – Yang Xingxing’.